Sports Illustrated is facing a significant setback as nearly its entire staff is being laid off due to the termination of its licensing contract by Authentic Brands Group.
The magazine, once owned by Meredith and later acquired by Authentic for $110 million, has been struggling with internal issues including leadership turnover, layoffs, and controversies surrounding articles written by artificial intelligence.
The publication has faced criticism for its turn towards “wokeism,” exemplified by its choice of a male-born transgender model for its swimsuit issue.
Sports Illustrated staffers received this today. pic.twitter.com/Q0WdVRzuRb
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) January 19, 2024
“We were notified by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) that the license under which the Arena Group operates the Sports Illustrated (SI) brand and SI related properties has been officially revoked by ABG. As a result of this license revocation, we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand,” a statement read.
“Some employees will be terminated immediately,” the statement added, “and paid in lieu of the applicable notice period under the [the union contract]. Employees with a last working day of today will be contacted by the People team soon. Other employees will be expected to work through the end of the notice period, and will receive additional information shortly.”
The recent developments have sparked a union-led effort to maintain the magazine’s standards and continue its publication.
Our statement on today’s mass layoffs at Sports Illustrated pic.twitter.com/tQjJdoHP4p
— Sports Illustrated Union (@si_union) January 19, 2024
“We have fought together as a union to maintain the standard of this storied publication that we love, and to make sure our workers are treated fairly for the value they bring to this company. It is a fight we will continue,” union representative Mitch Goldich wrote.
As if being a Grammy-Award winning artist and history maker wasn't enough, Kim Petras is now adding SI Swimsuit COVER model to her list of accomplishments. https://t.co/ESSyOwdMJI
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) May 15, 2023
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